How are NHIS data and reports released to the public?
Data from the NHIS, including your contribution if you participated in the survey, are collected into microdata files that are edited to remove all personal identifiers. These edited files are released to the public through the NHIS website. The data from these files are also statistically analyzed, and the results are published in several types of reports that are released over the Internet or in journal articles. The collected data are used for research and statistical purposes only. When analytical reports are prepared and released by NCHS staff, individual answers have been combined with those of many other respondents, which safeguards the privacy of the individuals who responded to the survey. No information that could identify any individual is publicly released.
